"The entire staff and board of GLAAD extends their deepest
sympathies to the family, friends and loved ones of Matthew Shepard.
His death this morning from the brutal, senseless attack he suffered
last week is one which will be mourned not only by those closest to
him, but by members of the lesbian, gay bisexual and transgender
community across the country. People around the world are going to
hear of Matthew's death and respond with the same horror that we
have, and it's our deepest hope that they'll be able to see this
attack for what it was: pure and unmitigated bigotry. There are no
'special rights' when it comes to hate crimes. The rhetoric of 'hope
and healing' being used by religious political extremists, and their
conviction that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people need to
be 'changed,' fosters a climate of intolerance which puts people in
harm's way. It must end now. Matthew Shepard is gone; how many more
of us must follow him before our legislators will listen? The
national Hate Crimes Prevention Act and similar state-level actions
are crucial to protecting all Americans from the kind of horrors with
Matthew Shepard and his family have been forced to endure."